The Winds of Change
by LittleMeerkatGirl
Summary: Timon and Pumbaa's friendship is put to the test when the wacky twosome rescue Mya, a female meerkat, from a pair of dastardly hyenas. The hyenas hatch a scheme to murder Simba, and the only ones standing in their way are Timon and Pumbaa.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

A/N: Well, here I am again! I told you I'd be back again soon… this story has been causing me so much pain. Haha. I spent many hours stressing over it… it's still unfinished, but since I have the story planned out, I figure 'what the heck?' and uploaded the prologue. I hope you enjoy. ^.^

**Chapter 1: Prologue **

An icy wind chilled the outskirts of the Pridelands as the darkness of night swept over it. Everything from the swaying grass to the tree leaves was tinged a silvery blue color. The savanna was eerily quiet; no animal in their right minds would dare come out at this hour of the night. But, of course, not all of the animals were in their right minds…

A pair of hyenas were resting together on a boulder that was a short distance from Priderock. Both were female, but they looked like polar opposites. One was very petite and light in color, and the other was very large and dark. They both had a mysterious aura surrounding them; one that would cause any sensible animal to shy away out of fright.

"It's a strange thing…" the dark one said, "what hunger will do to the mind."

"What do you mean, Shari?" the light one said. She had a very high pitched, scratchy voice.

"How… being hungry will cause you to do things that you wouldn't normally do…" Shari trailed off.

"Like…?" the light one prompted.

"Well, Jinga… for instance, killing your own kind…"

Jinga shuddered.

"Not that I've ever stooped to that level… but I've seen it happen," Shari whispered, examining her claws. There was a long silence. All that could be heard was the soothing music of the chirping Night Whisperers.

"We should really be getting back home, Shari… we could get caught if we stay…" Jinga whispered.

"WHO CARES?" Shari shouted through gritted teeth as she slammed her paw down. Jinga jumped.

"Shhh… **Shari**… you're gonna get us **killed!"**Jinga whispered loudly.

"Ever since… that… that…" Shari shook her head uncontrollably. "That… SIMBA… exiled us to that desolate wasteland…"

"Shari… calm down…"

"NO! I've been hungry for so… LONG!"

Shari lowered her head, regaining control.

"We've been forced to live in exile for so long…" Shari moaned. "Where food is scarce… and the lakes are dry…"

"I know, Shari…"Jinga said sympathetically.

"But not any longer…" Shari said in a dangerously low voice. Jinga looked up in surprise. Shari stood up and hopped off of the rock.

"We will no longer be treated like _**VERMIN!**_ " She threw her head back on the word 'vermin.'

Jinga got up and followed Shari as she slunk up behind some tall grass.

"What are you getting at, Shari?" Jinga asked her. Shari smiled excitedly.

"Don't you _see_, Jinga? To hunt in the Pridelands, we must have control of the Pridelands!" Shari was practically shaking with excitement. "And, the only way to gain control of the Pridelands is to destroy its ruler…"

"You can't be serious…" Jinga stared at Shari with bewilderment. "You can't honestly think that we could bring down Simba?"

"Not on our own, we couldn't…" Shari said. "We'd have to get the whole pack involved!"

"Even if we did get the whole pack involved, we still couldn't beat him… he has his lionesses to protect him…"

Shari was pacing restlessly in front of Jinga. "We'd get him alone… away from all of the others. He's useless without them!"

Jinga furrowed her brow. "And… how are we going to do that, Shari?"

On that note, Shari's frantic pacing ceased. She cast a maniacal grin at her friend.

"We'll have to watch Simba. You know, see what makes him tick…" Shari grinned maliciously. "We'll have to find out his weakness…"

On that note, the two hyenas disappeared into the tall grass, swallowed up by the night.


	2. Chapter 2: The New Girl

**A/N: Well here's the update! This chapter is considerably longer than the prologue. ;) Please review!**

**2. The New Girl**

A soft orange glow tinged the surface of everything from the grass to the treetops to the tip of the magnificent Priderock. The tall grass swayed softly in the warm breeze. Sunrise in the Pridelands…

Two butterflies fluttered in the wind, peacefully courting one another. A pair of gazelles gazed at each romantically as they bounded through the Pridelands.

Everything was quiet, calm, peaceful…

"PUMBAA!" Timon's voice shook the Pridelands. He was standing on the edge of Priderock with his paws on his hips and a nasty grimace on his face. "Oh… where **IS **that warthog!"

Simba padded up to Timon with a slightly amused expression on his face. "Relax, Timon."

"This wedding is going to be a disaster, I tell ya! A disaster!" Timon shouted, glaring at Simba. "Pumbaa's not here with Ma and Uncle Max yet, and the animals are already arriving!" Timon grabbed the hair on the top of his head as Nala sat down behind him.

"Timon, everything's fine. It'll all work out," Nala reassured him.

"Yeah, Timon. Hey, whatever happened to 'no worries?" Simba asked, grinning.

Out of the corner of his eye, Timon saw Rafiki climb onto Priderock. Timon threw his hands into the air.

"And, now the monkey's here!" Timon shrieked. "What else could go wrong!" As soon as Timon said this, a huge plop, elephant trumpeting, and monkey howling could be heard. Timon narrowed his eyes. "I've had enough."

Rafiki walked to where Kiara stood and put a wreath of pink flowers on her head. Kiara smiled goofily as she posed with her new accessory.

Suddenly the wind blew hard, knocking the wreath off her head, and sending it flying above the crowd of animals.

"Oops." Kiara turned towards Simba. "Daddy, my wreath…" She pointed towards the wreath with her paw.

"Uh-oh." Simba glanced at Timon. "Timon, do you think you could—"

"No." Timon folded his arms across his chest.

"Come on, Timon. Please?" Kiara pleaded.

"No! There is NO way I'm going down there! I'm not going to immerse myself in a sea of stomping animal feet!"

"I can't _**believe **_that they convinced me to immerse myself in a sea of stomping animal feet!" Timon grumbled to himself. "I've gotta learn to be more assertive. 'No' means 'NO!'"

Agitated, Timon made his way through the crowd rudely, pushing and shoving any animal that was in his way. Timon stopped for a minute and peered up into the sky in search of the runaway wreath.

"Ah-hah!" Timon spotted the pink wreath. It flew through the air until it flew right into the crowd and onto a female elephant's foot. Timon scurried on all fours towards the wreath, but just as he was about to snatch it, the wind picked up and blew it away. Timon had been running so fast and had such poor breaks that he slammed down on the elephant's foot. She trumpeted loudly and promptly slapped the giraffe that was beside her with her trunk, under the impression that he was trying to put the moves on her.

Timon hardly even noticed the elephant at all. He was too busy chasing after the wreath. He quickly padded over to where the wreath was circling like a feather near a large rhinoceros. The wreath was just about to fall when a bird with an exceptionally long beak flitted into it. The wreath slid down its neck and hung there like a collar.

Timon grimaced and climbed up the rhino's back. He scampered towards the rhino's head as fast as he could, keeping himself a step ahead of the bird. He climbed up the rhinos horn and desperately reached for the wreath when the rhino shook his head angrily, causing Timon to lose his balance.

Timon sprang from the horn and landed onto the back of a zebra. He ran up its back and athletically vaulted onto its head. The zebra reared its head at just the right moment, sending Timon flying through the air in the direction of the bird. Timon gripped the bird's feet and dangled there for a moment, and then struggled up onto its back.

Timon grabbed the wreath, but then lost his balance. Timon was now desperately hanging onto the wreath, dangling high above the crowd.

Panicked, the bird flew backwards and jerked its head around, sending Timon and the wreath flying. Luckily, Timon landed on a giraffe and slid down its neck and back, landing face first into a blonde female meerkat with bright blue eyes and a crescent shaped amulet around her neck.

"Hey! What're you—" She cut off when she turned around and saw him belly down, spread eagled on the ground. The wreath gently landed over his face, covering his eyes. He groaned.

The female brushed her unusually long, bang-like hair out of her face and giggled.

"Are you okay?" she asked him as she stooped down to help him up.

"Fine. Just a few bruises," Timon grumbled. The female grabbed his arm to try and help him up, but he yanked his arm away from her and tried getting up himself. She frowned.

Timon stood up and dusted himself off. Then, he kneeled down to pick up the wreath. Just as he was about to grab it, it blew away.

"Ugh…" Timon muttered between clenched teeth as he tugged on his ears.

"Serves you right," the female snorted, still agitated at Timon's rude behavior. "If it had been me, I would have snatched it up on my first try." She smirked. Timon scowled.

"With this wind, I'd _**love **_to see you try…" Timon folded his arms across his chest.

"Okay." She crouched down and flashed Timon a violent grin. Timon smirked and shook his head.

The female sprang gracefully into the air. She grabbed the wreath as she did a small back flip. She then spun around in the air until the wreath was wrapped securely around her waist. She landed at Timon's feet.

Timon's jaw dropped. The female unwrapped the wreath from around her waist.

"_Oooo… with this wind, I'd __**love **__to see you try," _she mocked him. Timon wiped the shocked expression off of his face and replaced it with a scowl.

"Fine," he seethed, crouching down in a leaping position. The female snickered.

"Fetch, dog." She threw the wreath into the air. Timon leaped somewhat clumsily into the air after the wreath. He attempted the back flip, but instead, he got all tangled up in the wreath. He landed on his back hard and groaned.

"Hmph, you're pathetic." The female grabbed a loose end of the wreath and pulled hard, freeing Timon of it. Timon quickly stood up and dusted himself off. "Toodles! I wish I could stick around longer, but I've got stuff to do." She smirked at him one last time before walking away.

Timon narrowed his eyes and growled for a minute before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He furrowed his brow and turned back towards the wreath. Timon reached for it once again, and like last time, it blew away. Timon snarled.

"And by dee power invested in me," Rafiki held one of each of Kovu and Kiara's paws. "I now pronounce you Lion and Lioness." He pressed their paws together, cueing the crowd of animals to cheer.

Simba and Nala smiled warmly at their daughter and son-in-law and nuzzled. Timon, who was perched on Simba's head, was wiping tears from his eyes.

Kiara and Kovu gazed at the crowd of cheering animals for a moment before turning and running into the den.

_Meanwhile…_

Beads of sweat rolled down Pumbaa's snout. He panted heavily; his tongue lolling out.

"Pumbaa, do you need to lie down?" Timon's Ma asked in a motherly tone of voice. She and Uncle Max were perched on the top of his head.

"No! We don't have time! We're late enough as it is." Uncle Max scowled, just as usual. Ma promptly elbowed him in the shoulder.

"I'm… fine…really…" Pumbaa wheezed out. Ma peered down at him.

"Pumbaa, you just ran all the way here from the Oasis." She put her paws on her hips.

"He said he was fine!" Uncle Max shouted, throwing his arms out.

"He is NOT fine! Just look at him!" Ma gestured down to Pumbaa, who was coughing and wheezing up a storm. "There's a waterhole over there. Let's make a quick stop."

Before Uncle Max could protest, Ma hopped off of Pumbaa's head and padded over to the waterhole. Uncle Max sighed and shook his head as Pumbaa stumbled over to join her.

As soon as they reached the edge of the waterhole, Uncle Max slid off of Pumbaa's back and kneeled down to sip the cool water.

Pumbaa bent down and took a quick sip before walking over to a tree to rest. He curled up in the shade and sighed. He closed his eyes and briefly nodded off. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an earsplitting scream shook the savanna. Pumbaa hopped up, alarmed, and scanned the area for the source of the scream. Soon enough, he found it.

"Ow! Hey! Put me down!" came a shrill female's voice. Pumbaa pricked up his ears. The blonde female meerkat that Timon had encountered earlier was dangling by her tail out of a big, ugly female hyena's mouth. Another rather petite female hyena was watching nearby.

"I said '_**PUT ME DOWN!'**_" she shrieked, struggling against the hyena's grip.

Ma and Uncle Max joined Pumbaa in watching the attack.

"Mrs. Ma! Uncle Max! We have to _**do **_something!" Pumbaa's eyes were wide with panic.

"You're kidding, right? Those hyenas will…kill…us!" Max yelled, but Ma had already jumped onto Pumbaa's back. Reluctantly, Max followed suit.

The threesome trotted up to a rock that was large enough to conceal them. They peered out from behind it to catch up on what was going on.

The meerkat struggled around for a second before biting the hyena hard on the face. The hyena yelped and dropped her on the ground. She attempted to run away, but the petite hyena put a paw on her tail and yanked her back.

"This is ludicrous! Let me go!" the meerkat cried. Suddenly, the two hyenas became very quiet. They sniffed the air and looked around before planting their eyes on Pumbaa's hiding place.

"Shari, I think we have company…" the hyenas slunk over to the rock that Pumbaa was behind. "Come on out... we know you're back there…" The petite hyena chuckled nastily.

"Yes, Jinga, I agree. We know you're there… we can hear your breathing," Shari, the big hyena, added in an eerie tone of voice.

"On the count of three, you had better show yourself," the petite hyena, Jinga, said, "or things may get nasty…"

"One…"

Pumbaa did not emerge.

"Two…"

The hyenas grinned nastily.

"THREE!" The two hyenas pounced behind the rock, only to discover that there was no one there. They shook their heads, utterly confused.

"Where are they? What the—"Out of nowhere, Pumbaa head-butted Shari in the rear, knocking the wind out of her. She hit the rock hard, and was knocked out.

"Shari!" cried Jinga. She crouched down beside her and nuzzled her in an attempt to wake her, but to no avail. Angrily, she growled at Pumbaa. "You," she seethed.

Ma and Uncle Max cowered in Pumbaa's mane. Pumbaa swallowed hard before he turned tail and ran. Furious, the hyena pursued him.

Pumbaa ran for a short distance before realizing that he had forgotten something: the little female meerkat. Pumbaa skidded around and desperately scrambled to reach her. She was sitting on the ground with her mouth hanging open.

"Hop on!" Pumbaa urged her. Jinga was only a short distance from them, and if they didn't start running soon, who knew what would happen?

The meerkat scrambled onto Pumbaa's back just in time. Pumbaa bounded off towards Priderock, Jinga in hot pursuit.

"Ummm…68…69…70, 71, 72, 73…74…umm…" Zazu was doing a head count of the animals in the crowd. He fluttered over to a zebra whose baby was playing a little too roughly. "Ma'am, could you please control your young. Those hooves could put an eye out!"

The zebra squirted water into Zazu's face through her teeth with a bored expression on her face.

"Apparently not…" Zazu shook off and flew above the crowd. He squinted as he saw a round, reddish shape galloping towards the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3: Time To Go Back

**A/N: Here's the third chapter! Sorry it's so short! Please review;)**

**3. Time To Go Back**

Panicked, Pumbaa slammed his way into the crowd of animals. He scrambled to get to Priderock, squealing and panting with the three meerkats perched on his back.

All the animals around him that he pushed aside scowled at him, offended by his behavior. He scampered and pushed until he came upon Timon, who was sitting near the base of Priderock.

"Oh, there you are, buddy! Where have you been? You missed the wedding." Timon arched his brow and put his paws on his hips.

"Get on, buddy!" Pumbaa shouted, lowering his head to Timon's level. Timon stared at Pumbaa with a confused expression on his face.

"What's going on, here?" Timon demanded.

"Hyena! HYENA!" Came a shrill voice. Timon turned around. On that note, several small animals and birds began to panic, causing some of the larger animals to panic as well.

"Timmy!" Timon's Ma slid off of Pumbaa's back and scooped Timon up in a hug.

"Ma, what's going on here?" Timon asked, pulling away from her. Before she could answer, an ominous shadow appeared over them.

"There you are…" Jinga stared down at them. There was now a large clearing in the crowd, for all of the animals were scrambling to get as far away from Jinga as possible. "No one… escapes… from Jinga…"

She lunged forward to attack when, out of nowhere, Simba pounced onto her back, knocking her to the ground. Kovu, Kiara, and Nala joined him, circling around Jinga.

"If I ever catch you near Timon and Pumbaa again…" Simba seethed at her. Jinga lifted herself off of the ground, gulped, and ran away with her tail between her legs. Simba turned towards Pumbaa and the four cowering meerkats. "Are you all okay?" They all nodded, their eyes wide.

"What was _**that **_all about?" Timon asked, baffled.

"That hyena was gonna eat her." Pumbaa gestured towards the little female meerkat. "But, we saved her."

Timon shifted his gaze to the female meerkat. She was very petite and blonde, and had a crescent shaped amulet around her neck. She returned his gaze with her shiny, bright blue eyes. Those bright orbs and that amulet made Timon instantly recognize her.

"Hey, you're the snobby little show-off!"

She immediately recognized Timon as well. "And you're the clumsy little jerk!"

"Excuse me, "clumsy?"" Timon clamored.

"Yes, "clumsy,"" she shot back. "And rude, and inconsiderate, and egotistical."

Timon puffed up his chest, utterly offended. "Well, at least _**I'm **_not a little—"

"Timon…" Simba said with a warning stare. Timon deflated heavily.

The female meerkat turned towards Pumbaa."Thank you for saving me… I thought those hyenas were going to kill me."

Pumbaa grinned and wagged his tail. "No, problem, miss…?" Pumbaa offered his hoof.

"Mya." She took his hoof and shook it. "And you are..?"

"I'm Pumbaa!" He replied. "And this is Timon's Ma, Timon's Uncle Max, Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Kiara."

She curtsied to them all. "Pleased to meet you." Timon scowled at her.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Kovu asked her. "I haven't seen any meerkat colonies lately…"

"No, I've just arrived here. I'm a wanderer…" Mya bowed her head.

Timon's mother scooped Mya into a hug. "You poor dear…"

Nala turned to Simba. "Simba, the Pridelands aren't what they used to be. It's far too dangerous for Timon and Pumbaa to stay here."

Timon's mother piped up, "Max and I are leaving for the Oasis soon, anyway. We could take Timmy and Pumbaa home with us when we leave. We could even take Mya, if she'd like…" She stroked Mya's hair. Simba contemplated this for a moment.

"No way! Nuh-uh! There is no way I'm going _**ANYWHERE **_with that chick!" Timon objected, only to be conked on the head by his mother's paw.

Simba stood. "No. That's the only way. Staying in the Pridelands is too much of a risk. You must go home."

"But Simba—" Timon interrupted.

"At least until I can run the hyena's out, you must return to the Oasis." Simba stared out into the sunset. "I'll escort you out of the Pridelands tomorrow morning."

"Shari? Wake up…" Jinga nudged Shari, attempting to bring her about.

Shari grimaced and let out a little moan. "Jinga?" Her voice was soft, and slightly hoarse.

"I'm here."

"Did you catch that pig, and those pesky little meerkats?" Shari asked, with a grimace on her face.

Jinga shuffled uneasily. "Well... no… I didn't catch them, but—"

"You didn't catch them? Jinga, you idiot, that was a rare opportunity for us to have a decent meal, and you let them get away?"

"I didn't mean to, but Simba came, and—"

"SIMBA? Of course he did, that brute…" Shari rolled her eyes.

"Shari?" Jinga began.

"WHAT?" Shari screamed, enraged.

Jinga cowered to the floor at Shari's sudden outburst. "I-I… th-think I…"

"Well? Spit it out!"

Jinga crouched all the way to the ground and shouted, "I know Simba's weakness!"

Shari's grimace melted off of her face, and was soon replaced by a wicked grin. "You… you brilliant pup…" She nudged Jinga to help her up off of the floor. "What is this… weakness of his?"

"Simple. A certain meerkat, and a warthog," Jinga explained. "He must be in love with them. He threatened to kill me over them…" Shari smiled wickedly.

"Getting rid of Simba will be easier… so much easier… than I ever thought it could be…"

Shari and Jinga exchanged toothy grins before disappearing into the tall grass.


	4. Chapter 4: Night Visitations

**A/N: Well here's the fourth chapter! Sorry that I'm so slow with uploading…I am very busy being a sophomore in High School:D Please, please, please review!**

**4. Night Visitations**

Night fell on the Pridelands, casting a bluish glow on Priderock. The stars twinkled brightly, and the only sound that could be heard was the chirping songs of the Night Whisperers.

The lion's den was filled with snoring bodies. Timon was curled up with his mother and Uncle on Pumbaa's belly in their own little corner of the den. Simba and Nala were cuddled against each other in the middle of the snoring lionesses. Kovu and Kiara were snoozing nearby.

Everyone was asleep… except for one…

Mya was curled up on a boulder in a small corner of the den, away from all of the others. She opened her eyes a crack, and looked around as if checking to make sure everyone was sound asleep before sliding off of the rock. She landed on the cold floor with a soft, muffled THUD. Her eyes darted back and forth once more. No one appeared to have woken, so she softly padded to the exit of the den.

She scampered down the side of Priderock. Once she was at the bottom, she inhaled the fresh air deeply. A cold breeze ruffled her fur. She clasped her arms to her chest and shivered. Who knew that Africa could be so cold? Smiling to herself sleepily, she padded over to a large puddle of water and kneeled down to take a drink.

She nearly choked when another reflection appeared right behind hers. Mya turned around to face her new guest.

"Hello, Mya…" Shari drawled. Mya gulped, and instinctively started backing up. She backed right into another paw.

"And _**where**_ do you think _**you're **_going?" hissed Jinga. Both hyenas cackled. Mya opened her mouth to scream, but Jinga slapped her paw over Mya's tiny mouth.

"Not calling for help, are you?" Shari taunted her. "Don't worry… we're not gonna hurt you. For now." Mya swallowed hard.

"That's right. As long as you're a good little meerkat girl, you won't get hurt…" Jinga said, playing with Mya's amulet.

"STOP TOUCHING IT!" Mya bellowed, slapping Jinga's paw away.

"Is that a _**threat**_?" Jinga growled with a smirk on her face.

Shari stepped in. "Girls, girls, no need to bicker… I think we could settle an agreement over this. You know, a favor for a favor…" Mya looked up at the two hyenas, confused.

"Yes… we'll stop touching your…trinket… and spare you your life," Jinga added. "But only if you do something for us in return."

"What kind of…something?" Mya squinted up at the hyenas cautiously. Shari and Jinga exchanged triumphant glances.

"We need you to lure Timon and Pumbaa into a trap…" Shari whispered. Mya looked more confused than ever.

"But… why? Why Timon and Pumbaa?" Mya inquired.

"That doesn't matter, now does it?" Shari crouched down so that her nose was touching Mya's. "Now, do it… or we'll kill you." Mya gulped hard. "Capiche?" Mya nodded her head, shaking in fear. "Good. Now that's a good girl. Scamper off to bed, my little darling."

Mya turned to leave, when Jinga said, "And, Mya? Don't even think about betraying us. We'll be watching you, and if you do, we'll kill you…" Mya nodded her head in terror, and then turned tail and ran back up to Priderock.

"Oy… its so hot." Timon groaned. He was lying on Pumbaa's back, accompanied by Mya. Simba was walking close behind them, carrying Ma and Uncle Max. They were growing closer and closer to the Oasis with every step they took.

"Oh, quit your whining…" Mya hissed at him with an annoyed expression on her face. Timon shot a dirty look at her.

"Well, I guess this is where I leave you guys," Simba said, lowering his head so that Ma and Uncle Max could slide off. "Will you all be alright the rest of the way?"

"We'll be fine, Simba. Don't worry about us!" Pumbaa replied, wagging his tail.

"Well, alright," Simba sighed. He padded up next to Pumbaa and put one of his paws around him in a small embrace. "I'm really gonna miss you guys…"

"Aww, we'll miss you, too, Simba!" Pumbaa said, returning the embrace.

"Yeah, we'll come and visit sometime…" Timon piped in. Mya felt a twinge of guilt at that statement, remembering her promise to the hyenas. Timon and Pumbaa might not even be alive to see Simba again…

Simba released them, and turned around to begin his journey home.

"Bye!" They all shouted.

"I'll come check on you guys in a few days."

And with that, the friends departed, heading to their homes.

Little did they know that they were being watched by two pairs of wicked eyes…

"Well, looks like we're here!" Pumbaa exclaimed, beaming with delight. Mya climbed up on top of Pumbaa's head to get a better look, pushing Timon out of the way in the process. What she saw amazed her.

"Its… its beautiful!" Mya said, awestruck as she stared at the lush, tropical Oasis before her.

Timon smirked. "By the looks of you, I'd say you've never seen anything worth looking at." Mya ignored the insult. "Impressed?" Timon eyed her cockily.

Mya snapped out of it. "Eh, its okay… I guess…"

Timon arched his brow with a cocky smile on his face and shook his head. "Let's go, Pumbaa."

Pumbaa took off at top speed towards the Oasis, leaving a trail of dust behind him. He was running so fast that he hardly noticed the crowd of meerkats waiting for them around the edge of the Oasis.

"There's _**more**_? Of _**you**_?" Mya asked Timon in mock disgust. Timon rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I actually have a family. Unlike _**some **_people I know," he said under his breath. Mya winced and turned her head away. She couldn't help but dislike Timon.

"Hey guys! Are you back for a visit?" came the voice of a dark haired male meerkat. He was grinning broadly.

"We're back for good, Siri!" Timon cried, sliding down Pumbaa's snout and onto the ground. Several meerkats swarmed him. "Whoa, whoa, guys! I need air, too, ya know?"

Ma and Uncle Max slid off of Pumbaa's back. "Guys, back up. We have a _**very **_special guest for you all to meet."

"_**Very**_ special…" Timon huffed, rolling his eyes. His mother shot him a warning stare before gesturing up to Mya to come down from Pumbaa's back. Reluctantly, Mya climbed down and stood beside her.

Almost immediately, all the meerkats fell silent, each and every one of them eyed her curiously. Mya looked around them nervously. "H-hello…" She murmered.

Ma, noticing that Mya was nervous, took over introducing her. "Everyone, this is Mya. She's going to be staying with us for a while, so if you would all please make her feel welcome…"

Ma and Uncle Max went over to speak with some of the older meerkats, just as the majority of the meerkats swarmed around Mya, all greeting her and introducing themselves.

"I'm Swifty!"

"Flinchy's the name."

"I'm Stumpy. Nice to meet you!"

"Siri…" The dark haired meerkat introduced himself to Mya, shaking her paw rather slowly. His gaze drifted to her chest, where the amulet lay. "Say… whats that around your neck?"

Mya opened her mouth to respond, but Timon cut her off. "Oh, this thing?" Timon grabbed the amulet and pulled on it. "She wears it everywhere. She—"

SMACK!

Mya hit Timon across the face, causing him to stumble backwards. He gingerly rubbed his cheek with his paw as he stared at her with wide eyes. "What the heck was _**that **_for? Crazy chick…"

"Don't touch it! Don't _**ever **_touch it!" Mya seethed. Timon opened his mouth to respond, but closed his mouth when he saw his mother joining them. She obviously had not seen Timon and Mya's little disagreement.

"Mya, dear, come with me. I'll help you find somewhere to stay for tonight," Ma said, putting a chubby little arm around Mya and directing her away from Timon and Pumbaa. Most of the crowd was now departing, the hype from their new guest fading.

Seething, Timon picked up a pebble and aimed it at Mya's head. Right as he was about to throw it, Pumbaa placed a hoof on Timon's raised fist, stopping him. "Timon…" Pumbaa said warningly, arching his brow at him. Timon deflated heavily. "She's not that bad, Timon…"

"She's insane, Pumbaa. Insane I tell you!" Timon crossed his arms. Pumbaa plopped down beside Timon and sighed.

"Well, please just try and get along with her, Timon…" Pumbaa put a hoof on Timon's shoulder. "By the looks of it, she's gonna be here a while…"

Mya was curled up in a little nest under a large tree. She was wide awake, even though it was late at night and everyone else was asleep. She had a terrible feeling that someone, or something was watching her.

She slipped out of her nest and looked around. She didn't see anything, but she could still feel a presence. "Hello?" she whispered out. Out of nowhere, she heard soft laughter. She turned around to face her new visitor.

"Mya…" came Shari's deep voice. Mya instantly started shaking. Shari noticed this, and put on a show of fake compassion. "What's wrong, my pet? You aren't frightened, are you?"

Jinga came up behind Shari. "No, she shouldn't be frightened. She's done well…" Jinga and Shari exchanged malicious grins. Mya squinted at them in confusion.

"How did you two know I was here?"

Shari chuckled. "Oh, Mya, we told you we'd be watching you…"

"And well done… getting acquainted with the meerkat and warthog…" Jinga said. "It'll be almost _**too **_easy luring them into a trap."

"Yes, now all you have to do is find some way to lure the meerkat out of the jungle," Shari continued. "He's perfect bait for the warthog..." Mya cowered to the ground. "And once we have them alone, we'll take it from there."

"But why—" Mya began, confused.

"Don't ask questions! Just do as you're told!" Shari yelled. Mya flinched, and then glanced around to see if anyone had woken, but there was no one near enough to hear them anyways.

"You'll be rewarded with your life…" Jinga concluded. "And if you fail, well…" She picked a stick up off of the ground with her mouth and snapped it in two. Mya gulped.

"We'll check on you in a few days… and remember, this is our secret…" Shari grinned evilly as her and Jinga turned to leave.

Mya stood in silence as the two hyenas disappeared into the night. Suddenly, she felt her knees turn to jelly, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

"There has to be some way out of this… there just has to be…"

Simba walked into Priderock, panting. Nala, Kovu, and Kiara were sitting together, all of them looking quite anxious.

"Any sign of the hyenas?" Nala inquired. Simba sat down beside her.

"No… no sign of them," Simba said tiredly. Just then, Zazu flew into Priderock, joining the four lions. They all looked at him hopefully, but their hopes were soon dashed.

"I've scouted over the Pridelands, and much of the Elephant Graveyard as well, sire…" Zazu stated. "There is no sign of any hyenas."

Simba grimaced and stood up. "We have to keep looking. We can't rest until they're found…"

Nala stood up. "Maybe they went back to the hunting lands we reserved for them? They can't possibly have wanted to stay here after that scare you gave that one…"

"I know I wouldn't," Kovu added with a nervous laugh. Simba sat back down.

"Maybe you're right… I'll check there…"

"Maybe all of us should help?" Suggested Kiara.

"No. We have to have you and Nala here to lead the hunting party," Simba stated. "Kovu and Zazu will accompany me tomorrow."

"But I want to help, Daddy!" Kiara whined.

"Maybe we _**should**_ help you, Simba," Nala agreed. "The search will be more effective if we have more of us looking. Vitani can lead the hunt."

Simba contemplated this for a moment. "Well, okay. We'll all go tomorrow. But, for now, you all must go to bed and get your rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow…"

On that note, everyone, except for Simba, said their goodnights and curled up on the ground to sleep. Simba, on the other hand, went outside and sat at the point of Priderock and sighed.

It was going to be a long night…


	5. Chapter 5: The Amulet!

**A/N: Hi all! I am soooooo sorry for the long delay. I am very very busy, and I have very little time to write.. SO please forgive me! This story is going to undergo a major rewrite this summer.. so no worries. I really uploaded this chapter because I had something important to say.**

**I found out several months ago that a dear friend of mine passed away..**

**I hadn't logged on to my account in ages. Like, apparently since February of last year. Well, I logged on one night only to discover some horrible news. I was rereading alot of my old favorite stories on there, and I just happened to click the link to DaringDani123's profile. She was quite a good friend of mine on there, and an excellent author. She reviewed all of my works, and PMed me all the time trying to help me write this story that I have struggled with for years. So, I do consider her a good friend...  
Well, I go to her profile only to discover that she has passed away... I am completely shaken up. I feel so horrible that I did not realize this until just now, a YEAR after she passed away. And she was only a little older than me. The world is such a cruel place to take such a young life.**

RIP Dani. I still read your stories all the time. Thank you for being so kind to me. :( 

**5. The Amulet!**

It was early morning in the Oasis. Rays of light streamed through the lush green leaves, signaling to the meerkats that it was time to rise. Everyone was up and about, except for two…

"Timon!" called his mother. "Where are you, honey? Breakfast is served!" Timon, who was curled up on Pumbaa's belly, opened his eye a crack, but then snapped it shut again. "Oh, there you boys are!" Ma cried, finally spotting her son and adopted son. She frowned when they continued to snore. "Timo-on… Pumbaa-aa…wake up boys…"

Uncle Max came up behind her, carrying his little stick. "You, know, you're not gonna get them up cooing at them like that…"

Ma arched her brow with an annoyed expression on her face. "Then how do _**you **_suggest we get them up, Max?"

"Easy." Uncle Max swatted Pumbaa hard with his stick. "WAKE UP, YOU LAZY BUMS!" Ma winced at his shout, and Timon and Pumbaa grunted awake.

"Ow… hey…" Pumbaa groaned. Timon stood up, and slid off of Pumbaa's belly.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Timon put his paws on his hips, annoyed. Ma smiled at him sweetly.

"It's time for breakfast, boys!" she replied as she started to fix Timon's hair.

"MA!" Timon swatted her hand away. Pumbaa got up and stretched.

"What's for breakfast, Mrs. Ma?" he asked politely. Ma grinned at him.

"Termites. Your favorite!"

"Oh, boy! Let's go, Timon! I'm hungry…" Pumbaa said, licking his lips.

"Eh, you go ahead, buddy boy. I'm gonna wash up first," Timon said.

Pumbaa bent down to let Ma and Uncle Max crawl onto his head. "Okay, Timon. See ya there!" He said as he turned to go have himself some breakfast.

Timon stretched, releasing a nice little POP. "Oy…" he groaned as he started to make his way to the waterhole. Upon arriving, he noticed that he was not alone.

Mya was bent over, lapping up the cool water. "Perfect…" Timon growled sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He padded over to her and stood beside her. "What are _**you **_doing here?"

"What does it _**look **_like I'm doing?" she snarled. Timon sat down, annoyed.

"Well, could you hurry it up? I need to wash…"

Mya snorted. "That's not surprising…"

"What's _**that**_ supposed to mean?"

Mya looked up at him without changing her facial expression. "Oh, nothing…" She stood up and turned around to leave, flicking water on him with her tail as she did so.

Timon growled before deciding that he'd better wash up fast if he wanted to have any of those termites. He waded into the water until he was up to his nose. He took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, allowing himself to float in the water. He let the water flow over him, enjoying the coolness. He nearly drowned when he noticed a small figure watching him from on top of the waterhole.

He coughed and stood up. "Mya…." Grimacing, he waded out of the water. Once he got to the shore, he shook off, and gazed back up at the spying figure. Sure enough, it was still staring down at him, but once it caught his gaze, it turned and started moving away. "Oh no ya don't!" Timon ran to one of the rocky sides of the water fall, and started scurrying up it as fast as his tiny legs would allow. He briefly lost his footing now and again in his desperation to reach the top before the figure disappeared.

Once he reached the top of the waterfall, he peered around in search of Mya. She was walking several feet ahead of him, but when she noticed his arrival, she started running as fast as she could.

"Hey!" Timon called, running after her.

Mya was going so fast that she didn't notice a small root sticking out of the ground ahead of her. Sure enough, her foot got hung up in it. She tripped and fell, sending her crescent shaped amulet flying over her head and into some mud. Desperately, she tried to get her foot out of the root, but it was no use. She was stuck, and she couldn't reach the amulet.

Soon enough, Timon caught up with her, panting. "What's the big idea? What are you—" Timon broke off, noticing her struggling to get to her amulet. He smirked and sauntered towards it.

"You… wouldn't… _**dare**_…." Mya hissed at him as he walked by. Timon glanced back cockily as he reached out to pick it up. "Don't touch it! I'm warning you!" He picked it up and examined it. It didn't seem very valuable to him; it was only a piece of crescent shaped bark on small bit of vine.

"Why are you so obsessed with this thing? I mean it's just a little—" Timon broke off as Mya lunged into him, knocking the wind out of him. Timon backed up as far as he could, watching Mya prepare to strike again. He felt himself back up against the edge of the waterfall.

"Give it to me! _**NOW!**_" she screeched, running up to him.

"Jeez!" He stiffened as she tried to wrench it out of his paws. "Here take it… I don't want it—" She yanked at it hard, but the mud made it slippery. It slipped out of their paws—and right down the waterfall. She stared at him dumbfounded.

"Oops…" he muttered, aware of the trouble he was about to be in.

"You _**IDIOT!"**_ she screeched, pulling him down to her level. "**I told you not to touch it!"** She threw him to the ground.

"Easy! Easy!" Timon cried, flinching.

"I'M GONNA _**KILL **_YOU!"

Pumbaa licked his chops, and let out a big burp. "Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Ma!" He smiled politely.

"Of course, Pumbaa dear…" She said, wiping his mouth. "Now, have you seen, Timon?"

"No, not since this morning," Pumbaa replied. "He never came to breakfast."

"That's odd. I haven't seen him _**or **_little Mya since I woke each of them up this morning…"

Pumbaa sat down with a small PLOP. "Maybe they're talking things out…" Suddenly, an earsplitting scream echoed through the Oasis. "That would be Timon…."

"Oh dear…" Ma said, looking worried.

"Should we go find him, Mrs. Ma?" Pumbaa asked with a worried expression on his face. She nodded and climbed onto Pumbaa's back.

"Let's go." He started galloping in the direction of Timon's scream.

Mya had Timon pinned to the ground. She grabbed him by the fur on his chest and shook him hard. "I can't _**believe **_you! I told you not to touch it! What is your _**problem**_!" She screeched.

"_**My **_problem? What's _**your **_problem? I'm not the one freaking out over a little—" Mya slammed Timon down on the floor hard. "It's just a dumb little trinket, for crying out loud!" He was surprised to see that she had started sobbing.

"What on earth is going on here?" came Timon's mother's voice. Her and Pumbaa walked in on the scene, both staring with wide eyes. Mya stood up, and without looking at either of them, ran away as fast as she could.

Timon was still sprawled on the floor, groaning. "Oy… my head…" Ma came over and lifted Timon onto his feet.

"What was _**that **_all about?" Pumbaa asked, still staring at Mya running in the distance.

Timon rubbed his head. "Well, long story short, her little trinket is somewhere down the waterfall, and she nearly killed me over it…"

"Oh, Timmy…" Ma said as she dusted him off. "She looks really upset... you should go talk to her and—"

"No! Not gonna do it!" Timon said, folding his arms across his chest. When his mom gave him a look, he quickly added, "Besides, she will _**kill **_me if I get near enough to talk to her."

"Well, at least go and find her and make sure she's alright," Ma insisted. Timon sighed, defeated. He couldn't think of a way out of this one.

"Okay, fine… I'll go check on her," Timon moaned.

And with that, Timon reluctantly scampered off into the jungle after Mya.


	6. Chapter 6: Betraying Us

**A/N: Well, I've worked out most of the kinks with this story, so you can probably expect more frequent uploads from me! Thank you for the reviews. I LOVE THEM. They are what keeps me going:D**

**Also, if anyone would be so kind to PM me, I need some help with the storyline… I know what I want to have happened, but I'm having trouble putting it together and I need a fresh perspective!**

**Anyway, enough rambling and on with the story!**

**6. Betraying Us**

Mya ran through the jungle, ripping through the foliage and occasionally tripping on a vine. She scrambled this way and that, determined to get as far away as possible. She skidded to a stop when she nearly ran right over a cliff.

"I would be careful, if I were you…" came a deep, and horribly familiar voice.

Mya grimaced. "Great…."

Shari and Jinga slunk up behind her, eyeing her suspiciously.

"What were you running from?"Shari asked, looking Mya up and down.

"Nothing, I was—" Mya froze, suddenly getting an idea. "I was… I was coming to find you two…" She lied.

"Oh, were you, now?" Jinga asked her, squinting her eyes. "What for?"

Mya swallowed. "I'm going to convince Timon to leave the jungle alone, l-like you said."

"Oh, you are, are you?" Shari asked her, trying to catch her in a lie. "How?"

Mya froze for a moment, thinking, before she said, "I-I'm going to tell him that the king wanted to m-meet him tomorrow at the Pridelands border."

Shari and Jinga looked at each other as if trying to decide whether they should believe her or not. Finally, they nodded to each other, accepting her story.

"Very well, meerkat," Shari said. "We shall go meet him there tomorrow in place of the lion."

"That will be one grand surprise," chuckled Jinga.

Shari and Jinga turned around and left, chuckling together. But, once they were out of earshot, Shari hissed in Jinga's ear, "Watch her like a hawk." Jinga nodded and slunk behind some shrubbery to spy while Shari carried on.

Mya grabbed her hair and crumbled to the ground. "What am I gonna do now…?" She pulled her knees to her chest and started to sob.

A dark cloud swallowed up the sky, casting a shadow over the Oasis. Thunder began to rumble across the sky.

Timon padded through the jungle, grumbling under his breath. He had been searching for quite some time, and hadn't caught sight or scent of Mya anywhere. He was nearly about to give up when suddenly he heard soft crying. He stood and listened, trying to decide which direction the crying was coming from. He padded over to some bright green ferns, and peered over them.

Mya was sitting at the edge of a cliff, looking out at a glorious view of the darkening Oasis. She had her knees hugged to her chest, and was just sitting there quietly crying.

Timon slowly crept up behind her, watching her intently. His expression softened for a moment; he almost felt sorry for her, but not for very long.

"Go_** away**_…" she growled, sensing his presence. Timon took a step closer, arching his brow. "I want to be alone…"

"You sure don't want to be alone when this storm gets here."

Mya stared at him coldly. "You don't know what I want. You don't even know me."

Timon stood there for a moment, not saying anything. Finally, he said, "Well, if I were you, I wouldn't want to be sitting next to that cliff when it starts to rain…" He smirked as she turned back to him, suddenly curious.

"Why?"

"Well, it tends to get pretty slick… and it's a long fall to the bottom…" Timon narrowed his eyes slyly when he saw Mya gulp.

She stood up, scowling. "Why did you follow me?"

"Because if something happens to you, I'm dead meat," Timon replied dryly. Mya glared at him.

"Figures…" Mya rolled her eyes. "You don't care about anyone but yourself."

Timon scowled. "Ya know, I could almost say the same thing about you…"

Right as he said this, a huge bolt of lightning sliced through the sky, temporarily blinding Mya. She backed up instinctively out of fright, and one of her feet slipped over the edge of the cliff, causing her to fall down. She cried out as she felt the rest of her body start to slide over the edge of the cliff. She felt her hands slip as she struggled to get back up. Her eyes clouded over with panic, and she let out a scream.

Everything went black as she felt something tug violently on her fur.

Mya opened her eyes a crack. It was raining, and she was wet. Very wet. She sat up and moaned. "Where am I…?" she asked, more to herself than anyone else. Suddenly, the rain stopped falling on her, even though it was still pouring down all around her. She looked around with a confused expression on her face.

Out of nowhere, Timon landed next to her with a plop, and shook himself off. "Back where we started."

Mya squinted and looked around as Timon finished tying up the rather large leaf that he had found for them to use as shelter from the storm. Mya rubbed her head gingerly, suddenly remembering her accident. "W- what happened?"

Timon smirked. "Well, let's put it this way: if I hadn't been there, you'd be _**dead**_ right now."

Mya frowned, confused. "Y-you saved me… I was falling, and you saved me…"

Timon frowned, too. "So…?"

Mya didn't respond, and the two of them sat in an awkward silence that seemed to carry on for ages. Finally, she asked, "Why?"

Timon blinked. "Why what?"

"Why didn't you just let me fall?"

Timon furrowed his brow. "Because if I came back home empty handed, people would start wondering what I did to ya," he nervously joked. When he noticed her frown again, he quickly added, "Don't read too much into it… it was one of those 'one time only' things."

"Sure…" Mya rolled her eyes and half smiled. They sat in silence for another minute or so, facing away from each other. Mya decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry I attacked you earlier… and pulled your ears… and punched you in the face," Mya said. Timon turned around and looked at her. "And bit you… and pushed you… and kicked you in the—"

"Enough! We get it!"Timon interrupted her, frowning.

Mya gave him a sad smile. "It was my mother's… the amulet…"

Timon's expression softened. "Oh…"

"It was all I had left of her, after she was..."Mya paused. "After she was killed."

Timon suddenly felt very sorry for Mya, despite his dislike for her. "What happened to her?"

"Hyenas happened, that's what…"

Timon winced. He sat there in silence, unsure of what to say next, so Mya decided to break the silence.

"Well, that's why I didn't like anyone touching my amulet, anyways…"

Timon furrowed his brow. "I- I'm sorry… If I'd have known, I wouldn't have—"

"It's okay…" Mya frowned. "Not that it matters anyways. It's probably long gone by now…"

There was another long silence. The two meerkats sat back to back, unable to look at each other.

"My Dad was killed by hyenas, too, ya know…" Timon said, breaking the silence.

Mya blinked. "Really?"

Timon nodded. "He was killed saving me when I was just a pup." Mya looked at the ground. "I guess we're not so different after all…"

Neither of them said another word as they waited for the storm to let up. They just sat there buried in their thoughts until Pumbaa trotted up to them.

"There you guys are!" Pumbaa cried, beaming. "We've been looking all over for you! Everyone's been so worried!"

Timon got up and smiled. "Hakuna Matata, Pumbaa…" He crawled onto Pumbaa's back, followed by Mya.

"Hakuna Ma—what?" she asked, puzzled.

"It means 'no worries!'" Pumbaa explained as they made their way back to the colony.

None of them were aware of the fact that someone was watching every little move they made.

"WHAT?" Shari howled.

Jinga cowered to the ground. "I saw her with him. She didn't mention a single word about the King to him. She _**lied **_to us!"

Shari threw herself around in rage. "That meerkat must not value her life at all if she thinks she can fool me!" Jinga flinched as Shari slammed her paws into the ground. "_**NO ONE **_fools me and lives to tell the tale!"

Shari breathed deeply, calming herself down. "We were stupid to think we could rely on a worthless meerkat to help us. I should have known she'd betray us." Jinga padded up next to Shari. "It's time we take matters into our own hands, Jinga."

"How, Shari?"

"Well, we can start by getting rid of that retched Mya."

Jinga sat down. "I heard a few of the meerkats talking about a Welcome Home party for the meerkat and warthog tomorrow…"

"Perfect," Shari said, smiling evilly. "A distraction is just what we needed. Plus, we can always have a little fun on the job…"

Shari and Jinga cackled as they walked off together into the night.

**A/N: Did ya like it? Tell me in REVIEWS!**


	7. Chapter 7: Up the Waterfall

**A/N: Hi readers! :D Wow, I am sorry for the lack of updates. XD This story is sadly done up to chapter 11 out of about 18… so I have NO excuse for not uploading, except for laziness. :/ I really am sorry. I just get paranoid about uploading before I am completely done with my story, but here is chapter 7 for now, and I will edit chapter 8 later and it should be up in a few days! Please REVIEW if you read! It makes me happy and concrit is MUCH appreciated! Thanks:D**

**7. Up the Waterfall and Down Again**

Timon stood up on Pumbaa's belly, stretched, and then peered around. Everyone around him was sound asleep, so he slid off of Pumbaa's belly and onto the soft grassy floor.

He tiptoed past all of the snoozing meerkats in their nests, trying hard not to disturb any of them. As soon as he got past them all, he took off at a run towards the waterhole that he had bathed in that morning. As soon as he got close enough, he dived in. He swam through the water, enjoying the feeling of the water between his toes. He came to the surface and took a breath before wading over to the shore and crawling out.

He shook off rather hard, leaving his fur matted and twisted in all different directions. He smoothed it down with his paws, and then checked his reflection in the water to make sure he hadn't missed any spots. Everything seemed to be in check.

Timon was just about to turn around and go back to bed when he saw something glint in the moonlight out of the corner of his eye. He looked up curiously.

Hanging from a branch near the raging waterfall was Mya's amulet. Timon furrowed his brow. "I wonder…."

He padded over to the side of the waterfall.

"MMPHH!" Timon grunted as he hurled himself onto a slippery rock. He struggled around to pull himself up and into a standing position. He looked up at the amulet, which dangled a great ways above him. Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to climb up the edge of the waterfall. He pulled himself up, exerting as much energy as he possibly could to reach the amulet.

Pumbaa woke with a start, a trickle of sweat running down his forehead. He checked around him; it was quite early in the morning, everyone was okay, and so was he. But, where was Timon?

"Timon?" he called out. "Where are you, buddy?" He got to his feet to look around. Timon was nowhere to be seen. Pumbaa furrowed his brow and padded into the jungle. "Timo-on… Timon…" Pumbaa twirled his hoof on the ground anxiously. "Maybe he's gone to get a drink…" Pumbaa trotted towards the waterhole, looking around for any sign of his little meerkat companion.

"Pumbaa, you'll never guess what I found last night!" Came Timon's voice out of nowhere. Startled, Pumbaa looked around in search of Timon. "Over here, buddy!" He called again. Pumbaa looked towards the waterfall, spotting Timon, who was holding a vine ready to swing towards Pumbaa. He hopped off the tiny ledge that he was standing on, and swung at top speed towards Pumbaa. Pumbaa readied himself to catch Timon as he let go of the vine. He landed with a thud on Pumbaa's nose.

"Whatcha got there, buddy?" Pumbaa asked, noticing that Timon was carrying a parcel wrapped neatly with ferns and some vine.

"I found Mya's amulet," Timon said, swelling with pride. "That's _**two **_favors she owes me, now!"

Pumbaa arched his brow. "But, weren't you the one who lost her amulet in the first place?"

Timon deflated. "That's beside the point…"

"Timmy! Pumbaa!"

"Ma…" Timon groaned as his mother rushed to give him a bone crushing hug.

"I was so worried about you two. I went to wake you up to get ready for the Welcome Home party, and you two weren't in your bed!"

"It's okay Mrs. Ma. We're perfectly okay!"

"Welcome Home party?" Timon blinked. "I nearly forgot about that! Oy…" Timon rolled his eyes and put his paws on his hips. "Say… Ma, you haven't happened to have seen Mya today have you?"

"Why, no, I haven't seen her since last night," Ma replied with a worried expression on her face.

Timon turned to Pumbaa and cocked his brow. "Whatdya say we find her, o' buddy o' pal?"

Pumbaa wagged his tail like a puppy. "Okay!"

As Timon and Pumbaa were about to walk off, Timon's Ma said, "Now, wait a minute, boys." Timon and Pumbaa stopped in their tracks and turned their attention back to Ma. "How about I go find her and you two get ready for the party? It's your party after all… you can't be late for your own party."

Pumbaa looked at Timon, waiting for him to answer. "Well, I guess so," he answered. He shook the little parcel. "I wanted this to be a surprise anyways."

"I'll meet you there, boys. I won't be long!" Ma called as she walked off in the direction of Mya's nest.

Mya stood in her nest, shaking. She looked around nervously, as if waiting for the two hyenas to jump out at her at any second. She could feel her heart pounding ferociously in her chest.

"I have got to get out of here…" She muttered to herself.

"Mya!"

She jumped, startled, and grabbed her chest.

"Oh, dear. I'm sorry I snuck up on you," Timon's mother said, coming up behind her and patting her shoulder. Ma's warm smile made her feel somewhat better.

"Oh, it's only you," Mya said, exhaling.

"Are you alright, dear? " Ma asked worriedly. "You seem kind of shaken..."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Mya said, hurriedly straightening herself up. "Just a little anxious…"

"About what, sweetie?"

Mya thought for a moment. "Um… the party! I'm nervous about the party!" Mya chuckled nervously, noticing that Ma wasn't entirely buying it. "You know how I am with crowds…" She quickly added.

Ma arched her brow. "Well, alright. The party starts in a few minutes… would you like me to walk you there?"

"Eh… no, I think I'll be fine on my own…" Mya said. "I need to… uh… wash up anyways first."

Ma smiled sweetly and shrugged. "Well, suit yourself, sweetie."

Mya waited until Ma was completely out of sight before making a mad dash towards the edge of the Oasis.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN. WHATS GONNA HAPPEN? :D So, how are you liking this story so far? If you don't tell me, I have no idea what to fix. :P**


	8. Chapter 8: A Soiree of Sorts

**A/N: Yeah, sorry for the wait.. :/ I wasn't sure if I was gonna change anything about this chapter or not, but it doesn't matter. I can fix it later if something changes**

**Chapter 8: A Soiree of Sorts**

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I just love parties!" Pumbaa exclaimed, wagging his tail as he trotted through the jungle. Timon grinned and playfully tugged Pumbaa's ears.

"Me too, buddy. Me too."

Pumbaa grinned up at his buddy. "Gee, Timon… it sure is good to be home." Timon sighed.

"It sure is, buddy… I didn't realize how much I really missed this place…"

"It really brings back the memories, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Timon smiled to himself, but grimaced when Pumbaa came to a sudden stop. "Eh, Pumbaa? Why did you stop? We're gonna be late for our own party!" When Pumbaa didn't answer, Timon hopped off of his back and pulled down on his snout. "Pumbaa…"

"Shh, Timon," Pumbaa whispered, peering around uneasily. "I heard something."

"Pumbaa… its probably nothing…" A soft cackling sounded from the shadows of the jungle. "Okay, maybe it _**is **_something!" Timon scurried onto Pumbaa's back in fright.

Shari and Jinga emerged from behind the foliage, both sporting smug grins on their faces. "Why, hello there," Shari said. Pumbaa took two giant steps backwards.

"Timon and Pumbaa, I presume?" Jinga said, moving closer.

Timon puffed out his chest. "Whatdya want!" Shari and Jinga exchanged glances.

"You would have thought your mother would have taught you some manners, small fry," Shari spat at him. She shook her head to calm her temper, and her sickeningly sweet smile returned to her face. "We were just passing through, and caught wind that a party was going on today, is that true?"

"Shari and I _**love **_parties," Jinga added.

Pumbaa smiled and wagged his tail. "Oh yes! Timon's meerkat colony is throwing us a Welcome Home party! They—" Timon covered Pumbaa's mouth with his paw.

"Pumbaa, ix-nay on the arty-pay!" Jinga brushed Timon's paw away from Pumbaa's snout.

"No, let the pig talk," she said, coming even closer to Pumbaa. Pumbaa squinted really hard at her, as if trying to remember something.

"Say… don't we know you from somewhere?" Pumbaa asked as Timon started pushing him backwards. The tiny parcel fell out of Timon's paws as he did this, catching the attention of the hyena's.

"Whats in the package, meerkat?" Shari asked. Timon scrambled to pick it up and hid it behind his back. Shari's ears twitched in annoyance as Pumbaa continued to mumble to himself. She looked at Jinga and nodded. The two hyenas began to advance on the twosome, when out of nowhere, a rock came hurtling out of the foliage and hit Shari square in the jaw.

"Don't touch them!"

Shari growled and turned around. There stood Mya, holding another pebble at the ready in her paw. Shari laughed. "Or what, my sweet?" She taunted. "You gonna stone me to death?" Mya lowered the pebble, suddenly frightened. Shari turned to Jinga. "Let's just kill her and get it over with." They began to close in on her.

Mya cowered in fear, awaiting their terrible teeth and claws, when Pumbaa lunged into Jinga with all the strength he could muster. His blow knocked her into Shari, causing both hyenas to stumble and fall.

Pumbaa scrambled to scoop up Mya with his snout as Timon yanked on his ears in panic. "Run, Pumbaa! _**Run!" **_As soon as Mya was safely on board, Pumbaa sprinted at top speed through the jungle. The two hyenas quickly recovered from the blow, and were soon chasing Pumbaa in hot pursuit.

"What is taking them so long!" Uncle Max growled and folded his arms across his chest. Ma put a paw on his shoulder. They were standing on a boulder in the clearing, taking a break from entertaining the huge crowd of meerkats.

"Their termite surprise is getting cold," Ma said. "I'm getting worried, Max…"

Siri scurried up beside Ma and Uncle Max. "Any sign of Timon and Pumbaa?"

"Nope, not a sign," Uncle Max replied. Siri grimaced.

"Well I hope they turn up soon," he said. "I don't know if I can entertain this crowd much longer. They're getting impatient."

"We can't start the party without my Timmy, Siri," Ma said.

A loud rustling noise came from the underbrush.

"I think that's them!" Siri whispered. He turned to the crowd and cupped his paws around his mouth."Everyone, get ready!"

The entire crowd fell silent as they waited for Timon and Pumbaa to make their entrance. The rustling noise sounded again as a large parrot flew out of the bushes. Ma, Uncle Max, and Siri deflated in unison.

"False alarm, everyone!" He called to the meerkats. A large groan erupted from the crowd. The sky slowly began to darken. "Hmm… looks like it's gonna rain. C'mon guys… hurry…"

"FASTER, PUMBAA!" Timon shouted as he clung onto Pumbaa's ears for dear life. The parcel containing the amulet was tucked beneath his arm.

"Now would be a good time to tell me your plan, Timon!" Pumbaa squealed, the hyena's snapping at his heels.

"Hehe… Working on it!" Timon said.

"You don't have a plan!" Mya shouted, clinging to Pumbaa's snout.

"Hey! I'm under a lot of pressure, here!" Timon's eyes widened as he noticed they were approaching a dead end. He tugged Pumbaa's ears like reigns. "Pumbaa! Make a left! Make a left! MAKE A LEFT!" Pumbaa skidded on his hooves as he made a sharp turn, just barely dodging the rocky barrier. "Whew." Timon wiped his forehead in relief.

Shari managed to avoid the barrier and remained in hot pursuit of the threesome, but Jinga was not so lucky. She quickly recovered though, and rejoined Shari in the chase.

Pumbaa galloped through the dense jungle, dodging everything in his path. Suddenly, he felt the ground disappear from beneath his hooves. They all yelped as they tumbled down a steep hill and right into clearing. It was lightly raining now. There was silence for a moment, when all of a sudden:

"SURPRISE!" Out burst Timon's entire family, cheering and hollering. "Welcome home, Timon and Pumbaa!" Timon and Pumbaa looked at each other with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

"No…" Mya whispered helplessly as all of the meerkats started to swarm them. Ma rushed up to Timon and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. "Welcome home sweetie." She stopped coddling him when she noticed how shaken up the three of them appeared to be. "Whats wrong, honey? I thought you boys liked parties—"

BOOM. Lightning flashed across the sky as rain started to pour down. A pair of yellow eyes and dark silhouettes slowly appeared out of the foliage.

"Timon..." Ma said, squinting her eyes against the rain. "What IS this?"

Shari and Jinga cackled and licked their chops, their eyes glowing against the darkness.

"HYENAS! HYENAS!" A meerkat squealed. The entire colony burst into panic.

"We're just here for the party," Shari crooned evilly. "No need to fret." The two hyenas cackled as they lunged into the panicking crowd, terrorizing the meerkats. "Oh, how the chase just wets my appetite!" Shari snapped a meerkat up in her mouth and started shaking him wildly back and forth.

"Drop him," Pumbaa commanded firmly, although he was just as scared as the meerkats were.

Shari spat the meerkat on the ground and growled. "What did you say, warthog?" Pumbaa gulped.

"I said 'drop him.' Now." Pumbaa said, trying to swallow his fear.

"Feeling brave, are we?" Shari taunted. She swiped her paw against the slobber covered meerkat who was trying to get to his feet, knocking him to the ground once more. Pumbaa winced. "I think you're all getting too brave. What do you think, Jinga?" Jinga nodded in agreement. "I think dinner is served, starting with the little runt, Mya!"

The crowd paused for a moment, and then erupted into curious whispers.

"They actually _know _you?" Timon asked. He turned around to where Mya had been standing, only to find that she was no longer there. The hyenas seemed to take notice of this as well.

"Where _is _she!" Shari howled. "She can run but she can't hide from us!" She lunged at the meerkats. Ma and Uncle Max clung to each other in terror. "She can run but she—"

BOOM! Lightning struck a nearby tree limb, setting it ablaze. It broke off of the tree and crashed right in front of Shari and Jinga, spooking them.

"Fire… FIRE!" Shari yelped, backing away. Timon furrowed his brow. "Ohhh… fire." Yipping in fear, Shari turned tail and scampered away as fast as she could. Jinga hesitated for a moment, but then decided to follow Shari.

"Somebody's a pyrochondriac…" Timon remarked. The rain began to put out the burning limb. He suddenly remembered Mya when he felt the parcel was still in his paws. Squinting his eyes against the rain, he peered out towards the edge of the Oasis, and then back at his family. Slowly, he started padding his way towards the desert.

"Is everyone alright?" Ma asked the crowd of meerkats. The injured meerkat was still sprawled out on the ground. He let out a long groan. Ma rushed towards him and began to help him up. She lifted up his paw to examine, causing him to yelp. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A broken wrist."

"Predator free environment! Ha! So much for that," Uncle Max growled.

"Now, Max…" Ma interjected.

"The hyenas followed her here! I should have known that bringing a rogue here would be trouble!"

"Max…"

"They asked for her by _name_! If we had left her to the hyenas, none of this would have happened! She can't stay here any longer if it puts our colony in danger."

"Max, be rational…"

"Timon, Pumbaa, you are to escort her as far away from the Oasis as possible!" Uncle Max commanded. When he received no reply, he turned around, only to see Pumbaa looking around with a very confused expression on his face. "Timon?"

A/N: DUN DUN DUN. Hahha. Review please :D


	9. Chapter 9: Do You Love Her?

**Chapter 9: Do You Love Her?**

BOOM! A silvery-blue bolt of lightning streaked across the ominous African sky. The wind was howling and screaming, and the rain sliced through the air as Timon made his way through the storm. His eyes were shut tight in an attempt to block the razor sharp rain from stinging his eyes. He struggled to move; the wind was pushing him back with all its might.

He stopped for a moment, panted, and then cupped his paws around his mouth. "MYA!" he called. Suddenly, the wind blew hard and knocked him off balance and he fell face-first into the mud. He scrambled to stand up, now covered in mud and looking distraught. "MYYYYAAAA!" He grunted, fighting to move his tiny body through the storm. He trudged through the mud until finally, exerting his last bit of strength, he collapsed in exhaustion underneath a gigantic tree. "Oy, that crazy chick owes me BIG time!"

THWACK! Out of nowhere, Rafiki's stick struck Timon on top of the head. "OW, hey, whats the big idea!"

"Who said you could use ol' Rafiki mon's tree as your own personal shelter, ey?"Rafiki said. Timon rubbed his head, grimacing.

"Stupid, crazy monkey…" Timon grumbled, glaring at Rafiki. He ducked as Rafiki attempted to swipe him with his stick once more. "Hey! Would ya cut it out!"

"Can't cut it out, it'll grow right back!" Rafiki chuckled. "I did not realize it was you, Timon son. What brings you to de Pridelands at dis time of night, and in _such_ peculiar weather?"

Timon grimaced. "I'm looking for my… '_friend'… _of sorts. Crazy lady, running off in a MONSOON!" He yanked his ears.

Rafiki laughed. "Well, you must care alot for dis young lady, no?" Timon blinked back surprise.

"Its… not like that, monkey," Timon gulped, his hands up defensively. Rafiki smiled.

"Did ol' Rafiki mon say dat it was 'like dat?' No, no, no, you are putting words in ol' Rafiki's mouth." Timon bit his lip. "Rafiki mon was just stating dat you must feel for dis girl if you are so brave to risk your own safety for her."

Timon shuffled his feet. "Well, no one deserves to be alone in the world… not even a good-for-nothing snob like Mya…" Timon, looking uncomfortable, hastily changed the subject, "Say, you haven't seen her, have ya?"

"Ol' Rafiki mon saw a meerkat passing not long ago. I thought dat it was you, Timon son, seeing as it was alone, but I must have been mistaken, for you are standing here before me," Rafiki replied. "Now dat you mentioned it, de meerkat was quite a bit smaller dan average—"

"That's probably her!" Timon interjected. "Well, it was nice catching up, monkey, but I've gotta go!" Timon began to scamper off.

"Wait! Timon son, I was not finished!" Rafiki called after him, wide-eyed. "STOP! I would not go dat way if I were you! Hyenas have just passed by ol' Rafiki's tree! Eh—" It became apparent to Rafiki that Timon was out of earshot. Rafiki shook his head worriedly. "Dat is one crazy meerkat…"

"And _where _do you think _you're _going!" shouted Uncle Max as Ma hopped onto Pumbaa's back.

"I'm _going _to help my son, for your information," replied Ma firmly. Uncle Max's eyes bugged out of his head.

"Are you _nuts!"_ Ma furrowed her brow at him. "How many times do we have to save his hide before the joke's on us!"

"Come on, Pumbaa. Let's go," Ma said, ignoring Uncle Max.

"Mark my words, you're gonna get yourself killed in that storm! You won't be able to see the hyenas coming!"

"Max, Pumbaa and I can take care of ourselves. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go rescue my son." She tugged Pumbaa's ears, steering him towards the desert.

"Don't do it, Nina! Let him play his search and rescue games! He won't find Mya in this weather. He's pulling a Fearless Buzz move on us. Let him be an idiot like his father was! It's what he wants!" Ma pulled Pumbaa to a stop, stunned by his statement. She turned around to face Max, who was flinching at the words he had just spoken.

"Mrs. Ma, who is Fearless Buzz?" Pumbaa asked, looking confused. Ma jumped off of Pumbaa's back, stomping over to where Max stood.

"How dare you speak of my mate that way," she seethed. "If it weren't for Buzz, my son wouldn't be alive right now."

Uncle Max narrowed his eyes. "Maybe that isn't such a bad thing." As soon as the words left his lips, Ma struck him across the face. Pumbaa eyed the two meerkats, still looking utterly confused. Glaring, Ma wheeled around and scampered onto Pumbaa's back.

Uncle Max rubbed his cheek, regret showing on his face. "Nina… I…"

"Save it, Max," Ma said, looking down. "Pumbaa, let's go help Timon." She pulled on his ears, turning him around.

"…I didn't mean it." Max said, watching them leave. "D'OHHH!" He yanked his ears.

Timon suddenly felt very small. He was standing in front of Priderock, nearly ready to tackle the strenuous act of climbing up the steep rocks. What with all of this rain, the task would be quite daunting. The monsoon raged on, stinging his eyes as he began to make the climb. Clutching the muddy parcel under one arm, he climbed up the huge formation. He slipped every now and again, but he was determined to make it to the top.

Up in Priderock, Simba was laying next to Nala in the middle of the rest of the pride, unable to sleep. He pricked up his ears when he heard Timon wheezing.

"Timon..?"

Timon entered Priderock and shook off. "Simba—" Timon began, clutching his chest.

"What are you doing here, Timon? Where is Pumbaa?"

"Probably back at the Oasis," he replied. "But Simba—"

"You mean to tell me that you _walked _here? By _yourself?" _Simba blinked. "In this storm?"

Timon cocked a brow. "Well, yeah. I kinda didn't have a choice! Those two psychotic hyena's crashed our Welcome Home party, and Mya ran off from the Oasis."

"So _that's _where those two were!" Simba said, furrowing his brow.

"And now Mya's out there somewhere in the storm with the hyenas! We've gotta go find her before she ends up digested!"

"We can't go out in that storm, Timon!" Simba said. "It is far too dangerous!"

"But, Simba! She's—"

"Relax, Timon. Mya's a smart meerkat. She can take care of herself until the storm lets up. Now, lets get some rest while we can…"

No matter how hard Timon tried to sleep, he just couldn't. He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, all the while trying to stop worrying. After much trying, he decided to give up. He stood up, stretched, and began pacing anxiously.

Nala was laying next to Simba in the center of the den, where the King and Queen always sleep. Simba was sound asleep, snoring. Nala, however, had awoken only to notice Timon's frantic pacing. She furrowed her brow, worried. Finally, she decided that she should probably find out why he was so upset before he goes off the deep end.

She lifted herself off the ground and padded towards him. "Timon… is everything all right?" she asked gently.

Timon's pacing ceased. "Does it LOOK like everything's all right?" he snapped. Nala furrowed her brow.

"I know what's wrong, Timon." He folded his arms across his chest and scowled at her. "You're worried about Mya, aren't you?" Timon's expression softened.

"She's out there all alone with those slobber brained muts! Of COURSE I'm worried about her," he rubbed the back of his head.

"Do you love her, Timon?"

Timon felt his face get hot. He gulped. "I, uhh, well…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you?" Nala nudged him with her muzzle. "Love isn't something to be ashamed of, Timon."

Timon looked at the ground. "I feel awful…" Nala raised an eyebrow. "But wonderful at the same time." She smiled.

"Sounds like euphoria." Nala pulled Timon closer with her paw. "And it hurts to breathe when you think about her, right?"

"EXACTLY!" Timon hollered, tugging on his ears. "I don't know what's happening to me, Nala! I can't stop worrying about her. And worrying is not something I'm partial to doing!" Timon looked down at his feet. "What should I do?"

Nala smiled. "Well, you have to tell her how you feel, Timon." Timon's eyes widened as he peered up at the lioness.

"Nah, I can't," Timon said, shaking his head. "I mean, what would she say to that?" Nala licked Timon.

"That, my friend, is something you'll have to find out for yourself." On that note, Nala got up and left Timon to think.

He sat there in silence for several minutes, pondering the things Nala had just told him. Then, something occurred to him.

"Sitting here won't help me save Mya," he said to himself. He grabbed the tiny parcel and began to silently sneak out of Priderock.


	10. Chapter 10: Because I Care, Okay?

**A/N: Yay! I updated fast! Enjoy **

**Chapter 10: Because I Care, Okay?**

"Yeesh… The Pridelands are creepier at night than I remembered… heh," Timon said to himself nervously. The rain had ebbed a bit and he was maneuvering through some grass that was taller than he was. He couldn't help but feel like he wasn't alone. He looked down at the muddy parcel he was carrying and gulped.

Suddenly the grass behind him rustled, causing Timon to jump. He could have sworn he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. "H-hello..?" His eyes darted back and forth nervously and he began backing up… right into something wet and fuzzy. He began to cry out, but a small hand clamped his mouth shut.

"Shhhhhhh! Do you want to get us _killed!"_ Timon deflated when he realized who it was. Mya released him, and he stumbled forward, gripping his chest.

"Do-on't _do _that! You almost gave me a heart attack! Ya happy!"

"Shut up, Timon," she hissed.

"I went through all of this trouble to find ya, and that's the thanks I get!" Timon continued, crossing his arms and cocking his brow.

"Timon..."Mya scowled. "Will you be _quiet!_ We're not exactly alone."

Timon raised his eyebrows. "Whatdya mean?"

"I mean if you don't _shut up_, we're liable to become some hyena's appetizer!"

"You mean you led the hyenas _here!" _

"Well, that was kind of the idea!"

"Have you lost your _marbles!"_ Timon smacked his forehead.

Mya scowled. "Well, we're alot better off than we were! The hyenas can't hurt your family now, right!"

"Yeah, but—"

"And you weren't supposed to follow me! You're supposed to be at the Oasis with Pumbaa! _Safe_!"

"I couldn't let you face the hyenas—"

"I was doing just fine until you showed—"

"I had to follow you!"

"I don't understand why! I led the hyenas away—"

"BECAUSE I CARE, OKAY!" they both shouted in unison. The expressions on both of their faces softened, and they turned away from each other, embarrassed.

Timon looked down at his feet. "I didn't know what I'd do if something happened to ya, Mya." Mya looked at him, surprised. "I'm… I'm getting kind of fond of ya…" He smiled to himself. "Plus, I'd get an earful from Ma if you got hurt." Mya smiled and elbowed Timon.

"You're alright in my book, too, TImon," she said, putting a paw on his shoulder. Timon smiled. His eyes lit up, suddenly remembering Mya's amulet.

"Mya! While we're stopped, I have something for you." Mya turned around arching a brow. Timon handed her the muddy parcel. She took it into her paws gingerly, grimacing.

"What… is it?" She asked, disgusted by all of the mud.

"Well, ya gotta open it."

Mya carefully unwrapped the parcel, trying not to soil her fur in the process. When she saw what was inside, she froze, stunned. "My… my amulet," she said, looking up at Timon in disbelief. "But… how...?" Timon smiled, biting his lip.

"Let's just say I went on a little 'night hunt,'" he said. "It wasn't easy, ya know, climbing up that—" Mya embraced him tightly, breaking him off. He held up his hands in surprise. "Waterfall," he finished, as she snuggled her head into his chest. Hesitantly, he wrapped his paws around her to awkwardly return the embrace.

Still embracing him, Mya said, "I was wrong about you, Timon. You're a real softie, aren't you?" Timon shot her a grin. "I doubt, therefore I might be," he said. Mya giggled at his remark. She stood on the tips of her paws and gave him a light peck on the cheek. Timon felt his cheeks redden and heat up, and he reflexively slapped the spot where Mya had kissed him.

"Thank you," Mya said, snuggling him again. "For everything." Timon felt a half smile twist on his face as the shock wore off.

"Ahem-hem," came a voice. Releasing Mya, Timon swung around to see who was watching them.

Pumbaa stood over them, smiling with his eyebrow cocked. Ma was perched on his head, grinning from ear to ear. She slid off of Pumbaa's snout and scooped Timon and Mya up in a hug. "Oh, Timmy! My Timmy finally has a girl!" Timon and Mya looked rather taken aback at this statement.

"Ma-aaa—"

"Oh! I can't wait for the grand-pups! Not that lion cubs don't make good grand-children, but it will be nice to have more meerkats in the family!" She continued to ramble.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Pumbaa cried, wagging his tail. Timon pushed Pumbaa's snout.

"Guys, really! Could ya cut it out!" he protested. Pumbaa cocked his brow accusingly.

"Yeah," Mya chimed in. "Timon and I are just friends." Timon furrowed his brow, feeling slightly hurt at that comment.

"Uh-huhhh…" Pumbaa smiled.

"We had better head towards Priderock before it starts raining again," Ma said, stroking Timon's fur.

"Yeah, and before we become hyena chow-" Timon and Mya stiffened as they heard a soft cackle coming from behind them. "Oh no…"

"Mhmhmhm… Oh this is _too_ precious," Shari cooed at them. "Young love… how sweet."

"Heheheheh, yes," Jinga chimed in. "Too bad we have to kill you." She licked her chops longingly. Just as Jinga was about to lunge, Shari blocked her.

"Not so fast, Jinga," Shari said. "We need Timon alive." Timon tightened his grip on Mya. "As for Mya, well, she's of no use to us anymore." Timon arched his brow.

"What do they mean?" he looked at Mya, confused. Mya looked at her feet.

"You can do whatever you'd like with her, Jinga," Shari continued. Timon stepped in front of Mya as she said this.

Jinga advanced towards the two meerkats, snarling. "Out of my way," she hissed at Timon. Timon backed up, pushing Mya up against a rather large bolder.

"Don't touch em," came the firm sound of Pumbaa's voice. Shari and Jinga turned on him, snarling.

"And what are YOU going to do about it, warthog?" Shari snarled.

"You're no match for us, warthog. You—YOWWWWWWW!" Jinga howled. Timon was dangling off of her leg, biting as hard as he could. She shook her leg, trying to force him to release his grip. Mya took this opportunity to run to Pumbaa. Ma immediately helped her up onto his back.

Timon finally released, spitting out a few dark hyena hairs. "There's this new thing called grooming… ever heard of it?" Shari and Jinga growled, advancing on him. Before they could snap their jaws around him, he scampered through their legs and onto Pumbaa's back.

"That was FOUL! You owe me big time!" The hyenas turned around, and began backing the little group into the boulder.

"What do we do Timon?" Mya asked, terrified.

"Well, if I learned anything from my colony days, we have three choices," Timon replied. "Scurry, sniff, or flinch?" Timon and Mya's eyes met for a moment before they both said in unison, "Scurry."

"Am-scray, Pumbaa!" Timon cried, yanking hard on Pumbaa's ears. Pumbaa galloped as fast as he could, the troublesome hyenas quickly gaining on him. "Faster Pumbaa!"

"Timon... help me!" came Mya's voice, stricken with fear. Timon turned around only to see Mya dangling off the side of Pumbaa's back. "I'm slipping!"

"Here, Ma, you steer!" Timon cried, handing Pumbaa's ears to his mother. After she had them grasped firmly in her paws, Timon crawled on his belly towards Mya. He reached out his paw towards hers. She grunted as she tried to reach Timon's hand.

"I can't reach!" She cried. Timon stretched as far as he could to reach her and grabbed her paw. Out of nowhere, Shari snapped at Pumbaa's haunches. Reflexively, Pumbaa kicked Shari square in the jaw, knocking her down. Terrified, Mya let out a scream and lost her grip on Pumbaa, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Mya!" Timon cried, watching as she rolled. Timon turned frantically around to face his mother. "Ma, you and Pumbaa go get help from Simba! I'll help Mya!"

Ma furrowed her brow. "Let's turn around and go get the poor dear right now!" Timon looked back, noticing how far away from them Mya already was, and how horribly close the hyenas were getting.

"We don't have time, Ma! The hyenas will get all of us if we turn back," Timon explained frantically. "Go get Simba! I can save Mya if I go now!"

Ma looked at Timon with a worried expression on her face. She put a paw on his shoulder. "Be careful, son. I trust you!"

"I'll be fine, Ma!" Timon said, looking over his shoulder as he hopped off of Pumbaa's back. Ma watched Timon scamper on all fours as fast as he could towards Mya anxiously. She placed a paw over her heart.

"Be careful, Timmy…" she said one last time, watching her son leave. She turned towards Pumbaa and puffed out her chest. "Well, you heard the man. Lets go get Simba!" Pumbaa began bounding off towards Priderock.

**A/N: Yeahhh, crappy action scene is crappy. Please review! Constructive criticism would make my day!**


	11. Chapter 11: Cornered

A/N: Hey guys! Wow, so sorry for the wait! I did not expect to get this busy with school. I finally got the motivation to write some more on this story, so here is another chapter to whet your appetites. ;) This was meant to be part of another, bigger chapter, but I decided to make two small chapters so that you didn't have to wait so long! Enjoy! And please review :D

Chapter 11: Cornered

"Well, well, well," Jinga cooed as she stood over Mya. "If it isn't the little traitor. Shari and I should have killed you when we had the chance." She leaned in closer.

"Now, now, Jinga," Shari said. "Don't be rash." She turned towards Mya. "You may have tried to dupe us, meerkat, but you have proved yourself worth the effort." Mya furrowed her brow. "You look confused my dear; allow me to explain. With that little 'running away' stunt you pulled, you led Timon and Pumbaa right into our trap.

Mya's eyes widened in horror. "No…"

"We'll give you one last chance, Mya. One last shot to save your own life."

"NO! Take me if you want. I won't help you hurt them."

Shari growled. "So be it. They will follow you wherever we take you, and in turn, Simba will follow them. They will die because of you either way…" Shari paused.

"Mya!" Timon cried, rushing into the scene. Shari nudged Mya's back with her paw.

"Run, run, run," she taunted. "As fast as you can." Terrified, Mya ran towards Timon.

"You're not hurt, are ya?" Timon asked. Mya grabbed him by the wrist, urging him forward.

"No time! We have to RUN!"

Timon looked back, noticing Shari and Jinga were gaining on them. His eyes widened. "Lets am-scray!" he cried as he grabbed Mya by the paw and took off running.

Shari and Jinga jumped in front of them, blocking their pathway. "Not so fast, small fries."

"Yah!" The two meerkats yelped, briskly changing directions. They scurried away, Shari and Jinga following close behind.

"Timon, where are we running to!" Mya frantically asked.

"Far away and FAST!" Timon cried.

"In other words, you have no idea. Great," Mya said dryly. Timon rolled his eyes.

Grimacing, Timon peered over his shoulder, noticing that the hyenas were getting closer. "They're gaining on us." Timon turned back around, realizing that Mya was no longer right behind him. "Mya?"

"Timon, help!" Came Mya's voice. Her foot was caught tightly in an unburied root, and she was struggling to free herself from it. Shari and Jinga were swiftly closing in on her. Timon turned on his heels and scampered back to where Mya was gingerly attempting to yank her paw out. "I'm stuck!" She cried as Timon wrapped his arms around her to attempt pulling her out.

"Are you always this accident prone or are you making a special effort today?" Timon remarked, grunting as he pulled on her arms. The root broke just as soon as Shari snapped her jaws in the spot that Timon and Mya had previously occupied. The two meerkats skidded across the grass, knocked down by the force of the root snapping. Timon and Mya scrambled to get up. They slowly backed up as the hyenas sauntered in their direction, backing right up against the edge of a cliff. Timon gulped, feeling a few pebbles fall from behind his foot.

"Oh, dear. Tsk, tsk. Looks like the end of the line. And it was just getting interesting, too," Shari slobbered. Jinga licked her lips hungrily.

"Two down, three to go," she snarled. Frightened, Mya held tightly onto Timon.

"Y-you'll never catch them," Mya stammered, trying to appear braver than she was.

Shari laughed. "We won't have to, my pet. They'll walk straight into our trap."

…

"Simba!" Pumbaa cried, panting as he stumbled into the lion's den. Simba, who had been previously asleep, awoke with a start.

"Pumbaa, Nina, what are you guys doing here?" Simba whispered as the two trotted in, careful not to wake his lionesses. He was lying next to Nala, who was fast asleep. Simba peered around, bleary-eyed. "Hey, where's Timon?"

"That's why we're here, Simba! Timon and Mya are in trouble!" Ma exclaimed.

"What?" Simba cried, jumping up off the floor.

"They are out there facing the hyenas by themselves!" Pumbaa explained. "They sent us to get help!"

"There's no time to lose," Simba stated, moving towards the exit. Nala's eyes fluttered open.

"Simba, what's going on?" She asked, raising her head up. "I heard something about hyenas…"

"No time to explain, Nala," Simba said. "I have to go NOW."

"I'll come with you," Nala offered, standing up. Simba walked over to her and nuzzled her.

"I can handle two hyenas on my own, Nala," Simba said. "Keep watch for Timon and Mya in case they make it back before we do."

"Be careful…" Nala said softly, lowering her head.

Simba nodded. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine." He turned towards Pumbaa and Ma. "Lead the way, guys."

The three of them departed, leaving Nala behind with a worried look on her face.

…

"Timon, what are we gonna do?" Mya whispered in Timon's ear as the hyenas moved in to strike.

"Eh…" TImon's eyes darted back and forth, his face sweating. Suddenly, his vision focused on a rather thick stick that was lodged in the mud.

"Where are you going?" Mya whispered to Timon and he walked over to the stick to dislodge it. He pulled it out of the mud and held it in his paws in a defensive position.

Jinga furrowed her brow at Timon and smirked. "Wow, a stick. I'm terrified."

"And what do you think you're going to do with that, hmm?" Shari sneered.

Timon shrugged. "I was hoping that you mutts would chase it if I threw it."

Enraged, Jinga pressed her nose up against Timon's stomach. "You better watch your manners, rat."

Timon hit Jinga square in the forehead with the stick, causing her to yelp. "Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't realize such a big head could be so lacking in the brains department." Shari stepped forward, snarling. She lunged at Timon, who dived behind Mya.

"The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes. Heh heh…" Timon said as he dusted himself off. Mya grabbed his shoulders.

"Timon, what are you doing?"She said through clenched teeth.

"Stalling..." Timon whispered back. Turing back to Shari and cupping his hands around his mouth, he said, "I would come up with better insults if your pea brains could process them." Shari snapped her jaws at him once more. "Yipe!" He cried, leaping into Mya's arms.

"Okay, that is IT!" Jinga advanced towards the two meerkats, snarling. "Out of my way," she hissed at Mya. Timon backed up, pushing Mya up against the rather large cliff. Several pebbles crumbled away from the cliff as their heels grazed the edge once more.

Timon looked back at Mya. "Well, it was nice knowing ya…" Frightened, Mya tightened her embrace around him.

"HAKUNA MATATA!" Pumbaa arrived in the neck of time, sending Jinga flying. She slid to the edge of the cliff. Simba arrived on the scene immediately after, bellowing an intimidating roar. He crouched down in front Pumbaa and the meerkats, the hair on the nape of his neck standing on end.

"Timmy!" Ma cried, sliding off of Pumbaa's snout and scooping up her son. "You're safe!"

"Oy…"

Simba glared at Shari menacingly. "Get out of the Pridelands. Both of you." Pumbaa snorted in agreement. Smirking, Shari slinked closer to Simba.

"Rather foolish of you to be traveling alone at this hour of the night, isn't it, your majesty?" She cooed. Simba growled, scraping the ground with his unsheathed claws.

"Didn't you hear me the first time? I said GET OUT! That is an order, not a request," Simba snarled. "You are outnumbered Shari. Leave now or die. It is your choice." Shari chuckled, circling around Simba.

"Outnumbered? Quite the contrary, actually," Shari cooed. "Don't you see, your grace? We've led you right where we want you." She turned around. "Come on out, don't be shy!" She called.

Simba shrank back as atleast fifteen cackling hyenas lurked out of the shadows, cornering the gang.


End file.
